Neighborhood

This beachfront city in Southern California became known as a resort town by the early 20th century, but Santa Monica’s charm is turning tourist into locals. It’s is located less than 20 miles west of Los Angeles, and is famed for its iconic beaches, its 310 days of sunshine per year, and its walkable 8.3 square miles.

Santa Monica is known for its attractions and cultural resources including the Santa Monica Pier, built in 1909, the annual Santa Monica Film Festival, and the vibrant mix of luxury and eclectic shopping districts to inspire the likes any business owner.

This city has something for every foodie, whether they’re craving street-style tacos from an authentic taqueria on the Westside or a French-American Michelin starred restaurateur just steps from downtown.

As one of the most educated cities in the nation, the Santa Monica community is an evident source of talent for a growing business. This vibrant tech community is home to industry moguls such as Hulu, Universal Music Group, Lionsgate Films, RAND Corporation, Activision, Naughty Dog, and Riot Games.

To learn more about commercial office space in Santa Monica, be sure to check out the rest of our city guide to help you choose the best neighborhood for your employees and your company.

Santa Monica Office Space | Lease Data and Trends

As the tech hub known as “Silicon Beach” is consistently growing, momentum is swinging in Santa Monica’s favor once again. Interest in commercial property in Santa Monica is on the rise as a result of high asking rent in Playa Vista and efforts to reduce the unemployment rate throughout L.A. county.

The average direct asking rate for office space in Santa Monica and the Westside submarket is around $4.90 per square foot per month ($59 per square foot per year), with Class A buildings renting for approximately $5.10 per square foot per month and Class B buildings renting for just under $4.20 per square foot per month.

There is approximately 422,000 square feet of creative office space under construction/ renovation in Santa Monica. Westside boasts more than 1.2 million square feet of coworking office space inventory, and Los Angeles is the country’s third-larges coworking space market, with nearly 3 million square feet of inventory as of summer 2018.

Popular Neighborhoods to Rent Santa Monica Office Space

Downtown/ Third Street Promenade

Home to two of the city’s largest shopping areas, Third Street Promenade and Santa Monica Place, this neighborhood is bustling with foot traffic. Although Downtown is bound to have the highest concentration of restaurants, shops, and hotels, the vibrant street performances and twice-weekly farmers markets give the area a local feel. Downtown is easily accessible by public transit, making it an excellent area for business visibility.

Main Street

This area is characterized by a laid back, surf vibe and is home to many art galleries and attractions. Main Street is the place to satisfy any craving as the neighborhoods has recently been introduced to a handful of international restaurants, and is home to the city’s highest concentration of coffee shops. This is also the home of RAND Corporation.

Main Street is another area in Santa Monica that holds Sunday farmers markets. Best public transit access is via Metro Expo or Big Blue Bus.

Mid-City

This neighborhood is the hub for arts and entertainment companies. Among the most notable are Riot Games, Naughty Dog Inc., and Universal Music Group. Here you’ll find a famous railroad station-turned-art-museum, Bergamot, which holds one of the largest contemporary art collections on the greater Los Angeles area. Mid-City also holds some of the city’s best restaurants, and is easily accessible by public transit.

Montana Avenue

Montana Ave is the go-to neighborhood for luxury shopping. Although this high-end end neighborhood is fairly residential, its tree-lined streets have already attracted over 150 boutique shops. You won’t find hotel here, but Montana Avenue is walking distance from Downtown, and the option to use Breeze Bike Share or hop on the Big Blue Bus.

Ocean Park Boulevard

The artsy neighborhood feeds Santa Monica’s local vibe. The coffee shops and boutiques are charming, but the proximity to the Santa Monica Pier and the Santa Monica airport is ideal for entertainment and convenience. This area is also filled with history as home of the Wright Flyer replica and World War II planes at the museum of flying.

Pico Boulevard

Pico is an ethnically diverse neighborhood. The Saturday farmers markets are comprised of 30-40 local farmers and are enjoy by locals and college students alike. This neighborhood runs parallel to I-10

Santa Monica Pier/ Ocean Avenue

One of the most iconic areas in the city, this palme tree lined avenue attracts a diverse demographic. This is were you’ll find the Santa Monica Pier and attractions including open-air bars and restaurants, a Solar-paneled Ferris wheel, an amusement park, and aquarium, and lively events and movies throughout the summer.

Wilshire Boulevard

The famed boulevard runs through Santa Monica, through Beverly Hills and into Downtown L.A. It borders the Third Street Promenade and is surround by natural park and landscaping. Here you can find eateries designed for very palate, designer consignment shops, and inspiring sunset vistas.

Getting to, From, and Around Santa Monica

As one of the most environmentally activist municipalities in the nation, this bicycle friendly city launched a bike sharing system in November 2015, known as Breeze Bike Share.

The Santa Monica Freeway (I-10) begins near the Pacific Ocean and heads east for the 16 mile trek to Los Angeles. A more local route that crosses the city is State Route 2.

As the road in this region of California can become quite busy, public transportation around the city is encouraged. The Big Blue Bus and Metro Bus line serve Santa Monica and much of West Los Angeles, including the surround areas of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Via Light Rail, service between downtown Santa Monica and Downtown Los Angeles terminal is about 47 minutes. The Expo line has historical value, in that it use to provide electrical-powered freight and passenger service between L.A. and Santa Monica in the late 1920s. There is some subway access in the inner city, however there is no access to the beach via the underground.

Although there is a small private airport in this charming coastal city, the closest airport for residential use is Los Angeles International which is just a few miles south is Santa Monica.